RIDGEFIELD - The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (PHJB) opens up a triple-header weekend of jazz at The Ridgefield Playhouse with a show on July 27 at 8 pm - part of The Moffly Media Evening of Art, Wine and Jazz Series. A set with Dave Koz and Larry Graham follows on July 28, with Bernie Williams and His All-Star Band closing out the jazzy trifecta on July 29.The Newtown Bee ahead of the Ridgefield show, Jaffe talked about how he was raised in the company of New Orleans' greatest musicians, and returning from Oberlin College in Ohio to play with the group and assume his father's duties as director of Preservation Hall when Allan lost his battle with cancer in 1987.The Bee. "The work of physically bringing musicians back to New Orleans was extremely important. After we completed the first wave of that mission, we began focusing on the future - and looking out for the physical health of those who make the music of New Orleans through our Musicians Health Clinic, which is still going strong. Today, as a result, musicians in New Orleans can receive the necessary health care thanks to the strong support of our donor base - all these amazing people."So It Is -This is evidenced in the PHJB's latest project, The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert.PHJB has also helped spread that musical soul food of New Orleans to other mainstream artists. Hearkening back to Bill Graham-produced concerts in 1967 where they shared the stage with The Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, and Steppenwolf, Jaffe is keeping that tradition alive too, pairing most recently with Dave Grohl in late April for a performance on ridgefieldplayhouse.org.The Tonight Show With Stephen Colbert

Since its inception in 1963, PHJB has worked tirelessly toward the preservation of traditional New Orleans jazz as well as bringing its unique sound and spirit to new generations by performing with bands including The Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, and Trombone Shorty, according to an advance from the band.

As son of co-founders Allan and Sandra Jaffe, current band leader Ben Jaffe has lived his whole life with the rhythm of the French Quarter pulsing through his veins.

During an interview with 

Today Jaffe serves as creative director for both PHJB and the Hall itself, where he has spearheaded such programs as the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund. Jaffe said one of the key spin-offs of that effort is helping sustain the lifeblood of the city's musical heritage quite literally.

"Starting that fund, and the work we've done so far, is one of the proudest achievements of my life," Jaffe told 

He also talked about the important role of the Preservation Hall Foundation, which supports all the PHJB's outreach and education, as well as the work the band does around the globe during their tours. One dollar of each regular ticket sold and all proceeds for each VIP Ticket sold goes to The Preservation Hall Foundation.

Since he took the helm leading the band, Jaffe has been committed to not only carrying on its musical traditions, but building upon it dynamically and with soul.

 only the second all-original project the band has ever produced. Jaffe explained that this new album is redefining what New Orleans music means in 2017, and was inspired by the band's 2015 life-changing trip to Cuba.

Produced by David Sitek (TV on the Radio) and Jaffe, the album's seven new pieces explore the common ancestry with the Afro-Cuban sounds that the band heard in the streets of Havana, Fela Kuti's Nigerian funk, and the entrancing melodies of Ethiopian jazz, along with the passion of 1960s jazz and soul pioneers. But he said it is the PHJB's newest and youngest members - Walter Harris, Branden Lewis, and Kyle Roussel - who hastened the ensemble's journey into new musical territory.

"We recorded this as an album, which was intended to be played from beginning to end," he said. "We were very mindful of that during the recording process. And it was a result of the natural evolution of the band, our journeys, and the people we've interacted with.

"It really came together during that trip we took to Cuba and the Havana Jazz Festival in 2015," he continued. "When we arrived there, we began to understand more profoundly the source of our music and our history. It was a very moving experience, and it really inspired and brought everything together that you'll hear on the album."

Jaffe said the subtle influences flavor the new music without robbing from the PHJB's true heart.

"You know Bob Dylan came to New Orleans and recorded an album, but it didn't come off sounding like New Orleans music," Jaffe said by comparison. "His experience here, waking up in the morning to certain smells, certain sounds, and certain tastes. What our visit to Cuba taught us was that our music is the music of Africa. And the rhythms that were brought here through the trade of human lives was mutated in different ways in different places because of the combinations of cultures and environments where they landed. In Cuba it was Spanish, in New Orleans it was French, Spanish, and Native American. So while Cuba was producing Habanera music, New Orleans was producing jazz."

The band will also be playing a cluster of shows with Arcade Fire in the fall.

"We've crossed paths a few times and have great mutual respect for each other's work," Jaffe said of his friendship with the band. "We connected at Coachella a few years back, and they invited us to sit in with them, and it was a perfect pairing. So when they were wrapping up their new album, they asked us to come out and support them on tour - but I'm sure there will be a few surprise collaborations during those Arcade Fire sets also."

The Ridgefield Playhouse is a nonprofit performing arts center at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street. Before the show, ticket holders can enjoy a complimentary Italian wine tasting in the lobby by Gallo Ristorante along with an art exhibit by Andre Chaparro.

For tickets to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band show ($53.50; VIP Tickets, for an additional $50, include preshow cocktail party and meet & greet with the band), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or visit

Check out the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with David Grohl on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx5FWYU9E-w

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs one of its newest songs, "Santiago" live from One Eyed Jack's

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